At the tender age of 21, Walter Elias Disney was working as a commercial Illustrator when he moved to California and, along with his brother, Roy Oliver Disney, formed the Disney Brothers Studio. Five short years later, in 1928, Steamboat Willie was released and immediately intrigued audiences. The animated, short film introduced the world to Mickey Mouse and his love interest, Minnie. Disney, along with animator Ub Iwerks, created Mickey Mouse who eventually became synonymous with the Disney brand. Ultimately there were 120 Mickey cartoons made, jumpstarted by the nine-minute long, black-and-white short. Now the "mouse" can be enjoyed by multi-generational families as the 100th anniversary of The creation of The Disney Brothers Studio kicks off its celebration.
Besides merchandise, park banners and displays, and several celebrations throughout the year, Disney is releasing Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts - Volume 1 Blu-ray. At 83 minutes long, the Blu-ray brings together the ultimate collection of Disney short films that spans the first two decades of Disney Studios. From Steamboat Willie to 1947's Mickey's Delayed Date and Figaro and Frankie, the ten films chosen represent some of the amazing work done by Disney Studios.
Visually, the movies are a little rough around the edges but that is because they are pure and clean while still showing a bit of an upgrade. Compared to previous DVD versions of the films, this Blu-ray set is brighter and the shading has been improved. These upgrades make the films have a freshness that has never been seen before.
The audio for this Blu-ray is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 despite there being other High Definition technology that was not utilized. Despite that unfortunate decision, the audio overall is strong, clean, clear, and has some depth. The combo pack includes the Blu-ray Disc, the DVD disc, and a digital code. Cover artwork that shows Mickey and Minnie Mouse intertwined with the number 100. The ten short films included are:
- Steamboat Willie (1928)
- Brave Little Tailor (1938)
- The Little Whirlwind (1941)
- Mickey's Delayed Date (1947)
- On Ice (1935)
- Hawaiian Holiday (1937)
- Mr. Mouse Takes A Trip (1940)
- Figaro and Frankie (1947)
- Bath Day (1946)
- Thru The Mirror (1936)
While all of the shorts are great, my personal favorites are the first few. Steamboat Willie is a classic and I would have been surprised and disappointed if they had omitted it. Brave Little Tailor offers a glimpse of what was yet to come while teaching lessons on perspective and listening to what is actually being said since Mickey was talking about flies yet everyone else was speaking about giants. The rest of the set indicates how much changed not only in Disney's world but in World and entertainment industry at large.
Whether you are a Disney fan, a collector, or a family with younger children, this Blu-ray is not only a wonderful introduction to Disney magic and its origins but also to a history of the art of animation. Comparing Steamboat Willie to The Little Mermaid and Moana shows the progression from frame-by-frame, hand-drawn animation to computer-generated animation using the most advanced technology to create realistic-looking characters and scenery. The combo pack is almost an hour and a half of entertainment that can be enjoyed by multiple generations and would be a great disc to pop in when families are all together at holiday time.
Since this is Volume 1, it hopefully means there will be more releases and eventually a complete collector's edition of several discs that include treasures from the Disney vault.
Grade: A-
Purchase your copy today of Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts - Volume 1 from Amazon.com
